Cat being mean to dog

My parents recently adopted a cat, when she first came in the home, she was very quiet and she seemed to get along well with their senior black lab Lucy. Lucy, just ignores the cat, she has NO interest in her.

For the past little while, the cat seems to be very jealous over Lucy and wants to attack her first thing in the morning.

On Saturday when my parents got up, Lucy needed out and the cat wouldn't let Lucy go down the stairs. She started hissing/spitting at her and started swatting her with her paw.

My Mother pulled Lucy by collar, since she started growling at the cat because the abuse she was getting from the cat. The cat took advantage from Lucy being held back and scratched her right across the nose and made her nose bleed. Lucy started whinning and whinning from the hit.

My Mother tried to get the cat to go away, but couldn't, the cat is extremly stubborn. Finally, my Father came in the room and made the cat go away so Lucy could go out.

Sunday the same thing happened, the cat wouldn't let Lucy go down the stairs to go out.

The cat is picking on Lucy more often and we don't like it one bit. Lucy is 65 pounds, extremly gentle and the cat is 10 pds and acts like she's a big tough lion.

How can we make the cat stop picking on the dog..

Your cat is just doing what she feels neccessary to do in order to keep herself safe. It's very possible that the cat has been attacked or annoyed by dogs in the past; so she certainly won't know that Lucy won't hurt her - even though you do.

The thing about cats and dogs on stairs is that it can be a very sketchy place. Cats feel cornered, as do dogs. It's a "close quarters" area, so the best thing to do if your cat is hissing (and for no reason) remember that the bad behavior needs to be innterupted by the one causing it.

If Lucy truly is not instigating the cats reaction, (and she can do this by just simply getting too close for comfort) then move the cat and not the dog.

Be very, very careful when moving an angry/scared cat, they can turn on you and do some pretty good damage. It is called redirected aggression and can happen in the gentlest of cats.

http://www.vin.com/VINDBPub/SearchPB/Proceedings/PR05000/PR00030.htm

Be very, very careful when moving an angry/scared cat, they can turn on you and do some pretty good damage. It is called redirected aggression and can happen in the gentlest of cats.

http://www.vin.com/VINDBPub/SearchPB/Proceedings/PR05000/PR00030.htm

So very very true - and I have the permanent scares to prove it - either claws or teeth marks.

Poodletalk - how were both species introduced to one another?

Poodletalk , instead of moving the cat "by hand" , maybe they can use a spray water bottle ?

Is Lucy's nose ok today ? Cat scratches burn a lot :o

I have an old orange cat (9 years). When we got our first puppy moka (big dog = big puppy) the cat wasn't too interested.

The stair thing happened to me too where I'm trying to call the dog up the stairs from the basement so she could go pee outside and the cat was there blocking the dog. The cat normally doesn't like the dog but in this case because of my request, I was forcing the dog to get close to the cat. What ended up happening was that the dog pee'd in the basement because it couldn't come up.

1 thing - I don't hold back the dog. If the cat wants to pick one with the dog, I let it happen. They learn their place and get to know each other's limits.

2 thing - I decided that next time instead of continuously calling the dog to try and get her to come up the stairs, I would hiss at the cat so it would get out of the way. And that did work.

The introduction was done by the book, the cat had no problems with the dog or vice versa.

The problem is only in the morning when my parents get up. The cat wants to eat and the dog wants out and eat.

The cat seems to get jealous when my parents pays the attention to the dog first over her. It seems like, the cat wants to be the "pack leader" and wants Lucy to just accept it.

After the cat eats, she's fine and completely ignores Lucy again. My parents leave her food out during the night for her, but the cat knows in the morning, she gets more food and wants it NOW!

I have one cat like this. What I do is feed the cats first (all 6) and then get ready to take out the dogs. It has worked out fine thus far.

They will eventually adapt, but I understand the frustration.

ahhh feed kiitie first and stay by her for a bit while she starts to eat

if she dows get aggresive the sparay bottle trick may work

If feeding the cat first doesn't work, keep the cat in a separate room over night, feed cat first its breakfast in the room since she considers herself "alpha", then let Lucy outside to pee/poo and feed Lucy after she comes back in. When Lucy's finished eating, let the cat out of the room.

If the cat is aggressive to Lucy at other times thro the day, your mom should let cat know that she will not tolerate this. Your Mom is going to have to be the "alpha". She should have a spray bottle with water handy and spray cat immediately when it shows any bullying or aggression, and at the same time say a loud PSSST! and "No!" to the cat. Then redirect the cat with a toy. She should balance this out with praise and reward good behaviour. When the cat is behaving well close to the dog, praise and pet the cat and give it a treat (she'll have to give Lucy a treat too, but after the cat). Let us know how things work out.

If it was me, I would get my pop can that I have a couple of pennies in and shake it, that should make the cat run away. I do it when my cats are in the porch and won't go back into the house and hubs needs to take the dog out. Now they just have to see me pick up the can and they go inside. I don't have to shake it anymore.

Good luck.
Debbie

Sweet Pea is the same way when she is hungry, except she gets angry at cats not dogs :p. Just like some humans get cranky when they are hungry, cats can do the same thing.

I agree, feed the cat first.